Toy



' BRAYTCN G. RICHARDS, or4 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Toy.

Specicationlof Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24,1920.

Appliootion fue@ november 22 191s. soria;` No. 132,834.

To all whom t may Concern: 1 v

Be it known that I, BnAY'roN G. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in toys, and has for itsobject the'provision of a toy having educational advantages, and primarily designed to assist in the teaching of spelling to children. o

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and'claimed. l n

The invention will bebest understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and'in which, 1 V l Figure 1--is a top plan view of a construction embodying my invention, p 1

Fig. 2, a section taken substantially on line 2 2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 8, a section taken on line.3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4, an enlarged section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1, v A

Fig. 5, an enlarofed section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 'Land f Fig. 6, an enlarged section 'taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

The preferred form of. construction, as illustrated 'in the drawings, comprises a light box 7 provided'with a sheet metal cover 8, as indicated. The cover 8 .is provided, adjacent one end, with three transverse slots 9, 10 and11, the edges ofsaid slots being turned downwardly, as indicated, for stiifening and strengthening purposes. Arranged on the under side of the cover 8 are three substantially rectangular wire frames 12, 13 andv14, all -hinged centrally upon a transverse rod 15 mounted in suitable hangers struck from the body of cover 8, as indicated. Theframes 12, 13 and 14 are successively larger in size so that'each is free to swing or oscillate on rod 15 independently ofthe others, and said vframes carry respectively, plates 16, 17 Y and 18 pivotally mounted thereon and arranged to *operate upwardly through Vslotsl 9, 10 .and 11. The plates 16, 17 and 18 are provided with pictorialrepresentations, and if desired may is provided on its inner face Vwith the `pioture of. a dog, the plate 17 is provided'on its be shaped to. correspond. Thus, theplate 16l inner face with the picture'of a cat, and the plate 18 is provided on its finner face with the picture V ofan apeor monkey. Each of the plates 16 17 and 18 is provided, at

extending positioning stops or yfingers 19 adapted to engage with the lower edges of the flanges Aabout slots 9, 10 vand 11 to maintainthel plates 16, 17 and 18 in upright posi tions, when projected through saidV slots. The portionsl of,v the rame's12, 13 and 14 lying under the portionof the cover 8, provided with lthe slots 9, "10 and 11, are arranged'at an angle to the opposite portions of said frames, said opposite portions of said vframes being positioned in diiferent'planes,

as shown. Thus the portions 204 of the frame 14 are arranged in the highestlevel or'plane, the portions 21 of the vframe 13 are arranged below the portions 20, and the portions 22 of thei'rame 12 are arranged below the portions 21, as best shown in Figs.2, 3 and`4. Each of the frames' 12, 13 and 14 is provided with a weight23 suiicient to overbalance the corresponding plate on the other end of theframe, so that when said frames arereleased, the plates 16,17 and 18 will automatically rise throughthe slots 9,10 and 11, as will be readily understood.

The side of1thercover'8 corresponding with the frame portions 20,' 21 and 22V is provided with a plurality of transverse guide slots 24 connected centrally by a lonn gitudinal guide slot 25 leading to a' lateral slot 26, as shown. Letter blocks 27 are slid# ably arranged in the slots 24, said letter blocks being preferably formed of sheet metal stampingsa'nd the edges of the slots being turned downwardly for' stil'ening and guiding purposes, as indicated. The letter blocks are marked on their tops with the letters A, C, D, F1, (51,0, I), and T as indicated, and the blocks marked A, P and E are provided with laterally extending supporting fingers 28 von' av level and of sufficient length to rest Vunder the corresponding frame portions 20 when said letter blocks are in the outer yportions ofA their corresponding guide slots. Thus, it will be seen, that the Ithree letters A, P, and E 'serv/Megas fa means 'for temporarily retaining the outermost or 'larger frame 14 vin the position shown in Fig. 2,vin which position the pictorial representation of the ape or monkey is depressed and concealed within the box, but that upon removal of the letter blocks A, P

leachV side adjacent its bottom, vwithlaterally andY E from the positions indicated, said frame will be releasedfrom the control Vof said letter blocks'to permit of the elevation o r projection of the plate 18 through the slot 11 to exhibit the pictorial illustration ofthe ape which the three? letters A l) E spell.

Likewise, the three letter blocks 4marked C A T carry supporting fingers 29, somewhat shorter than the lingers 28 and arranged in a lower plane so as to engage under thecorresponding frame portions 21 when the Y letter blocks are at the outer ends of their guide slots, by which arrangement 4the removal of the three'letters spelling'cat will-- release the plate 17 bearing the pictorial illustration ofthe cat. Likewise, the three letter blocks marked D G G arev provided Y with supporting fingers 30, somewhat shorter than the lingers 21 and lying in a lower Vplaneso as to engage under the corresponding portions of the frame 22 so that removal of these letterrblocks will'free the frame 12 carrying the plate 16 bearing the pictorial representation of the dog. s

A locking bar 31 is slidably arranged centrally` on the under side of the cover v8 in A suitable brackets or guides stamped from the body of said cover, as indicated, said slide being provided with a laterally turned end 32 underlying the outer end ofthe slot 26. A tension spring 33 is connected at one elevated, but to simultaneously release all of said frames when said slide is retracted. The arrangement is such that upon the assembling of a set of letter blocks corresponding to one of the pictorial plates in the slot 26 and upon pressing saidletter blocks outwardly'in said slot,the slide 31 will be withdrawn to release all of the frames l2 13 and 14. However, the removal ofthe three letter-blocks correspondingV to one of the pictorial plates, releases only the corresponding frame, so thatthe release of all of the frames by the movementy of the slide 3 1 will only i release-the frame corresponding to the assembled letter blocks 'for actual operation and projection of the corresponding pictorial representation. Thus, it will be observed, that upon assembling the proper letters to spell either ofthe words ape, catf or dogthe corresponding plate bearing a ,pictorial representation of the corresponding word, will be automatically projectedV upwardly through the corresponding slot in the cover S, thus serving toV teach the operator the spelling of these simple words, in addition to furnishing the amusement of manipulating the toy.V Obviously the' plates 16, 17 andlS maybe provided with different pictorial representationsjor be made in different form, the controlling blocks modified to correspond, as desired. Also, the controlling blocks could be provided with numerals or other 'representations and the plates 16' and 17 marked to correspond, thus aiding in the teaching of rudimentary problems in arithmetic. Various other modifications will readily occur toanyone devoting a little thought to the matter,'and may be readily applied to the construction by changing the markings thereon;A

l/Vhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my inventiony into-effect, this is capable of variation andm'odilication without departing from the spiritl of the invention. l, therefore, do not wish to vbe limitedto the precisedetails of construction setr forth, but

desire to avail myselfof such variations and modilications'as come within the scope' of the appended claims.v

Having described my Vinvention.whatwl claim as new and desire to Patent is: u Y

1. A construction-of the class described comprising a body; a movable object on said body; a plurality of controllingsmemsecure by lLetters (bers movably mounted'on said. bodyf and associated with said object; means forv assem bling andV dispersing said members onsaid body; andv means opcrablethrough an 'as-1 Y 'sembled set of saidv members `for moving .105

said object, substantially as described. s

2. A construction of the class described comprising a body; an object on said body;

a plurality of controlling members movableV on said body; meansforassembling and dispersing said members Ton said body; `and means controlled by an vassembled setfof said members for rendering said object Vconspicuous, substantiallyz as described. l Y

Y3. AV construction Yof theclass described comprising a body ;an.objecton said body; aplurality` of 'controlling members slidable on said body and arranged to be assembled Aandrdispersed thereon; andV means operable by said members for rendering said object conspicuous or inconspicuous, substantially as described.l 4

Kl. Al-Veonstruction A comprising a body.; an object on said body;

a plurality of controlling Vmembers slidable on said body and arranged to kbe assembled and dispersed thereon; and Vnieans'operable by said members for rendering said object 5. A construction-ofthe vclass described of thel class described visible or invisible, substantially as l described. r

comprising a body; a plurality of movable objects on said body; a plurality of controlling members slidable on said body and arranged to be assembled into sets and dispersed thereon; and means operable through movement of said assembled sets for moving said objects, substantially as described.

6. A construction of the class described comprising a body having guide slots and an assembling slot; controlling members slidable in said slots; movable objects on said body; and means operable by members in said assembling slot for moving said objects, substantially as described.

7. A construction of the class described comprising a body having guide slots and an assembling slot; a plurality of movable objects on said body; a plurality of controlling members slidable on said body and arranged to be assembled into sets and dispersed thereon; and means operable by sets or said members in said assembling slot for moving said objects, substantially as described.

8. A construction of the class described comprising a plurality of movable objects; a plurality of movable letters arranged to be assembled and dispersed; and means operable by an assembled set of letters for moving said objects, substantially as described.

9. A construction of the class described comprising a plurality of movable objects; a plurality of sets of controlling members associated therewith; means for assembling each set of controlling members; and means for effecting movement of the corresponding movable object through manipulation of the assembled sets of controlling members, substantially as described.

10. A construction of the class described comprising a plurality of movable objects; a plurality of sets of controlling members associated therewith; means for assembling each set of controlling members; and means for utilizing an assembled set of controlling members 'for moving the corresponding object, substantially as described.

11. A construction of the class described comprising a plurality of ineonspicuous objects; a plurality of sets of controlling members associated therewith; means for assembling cach set of controlling members;

and means for utilizing an assembled set of controlling members for rendering the corresponding obj ect conspicuous, substantially as described. i

12. A construction of the class described comprising a plurality of invisible objects; a plurality or' sets of controlling members associated therewith; means for assembling each set of controlling members; and means for utilizing an assembled set of controlling members for rendering the corresponding object visible, substantially as described.

13. A construction of the class described comprising a plurality of inconspicuous ob jects; a. plurality of sets of letters associated therewith; means for assembling each set of letters; and means for utilizing an assembled set of letters for rendering said objects conspicuous, substantially as described.

14. A construction of the class described comprising a plurality of invisible objects; a plurality of sets of letters associated therewith; means for assembling each set of letters; and means Jfor utilizing an assembled set of letters for rendering the corresponding ob-ject visible, substantially as described. v

15. A construction vof the class described comprising a boX; a cover for said box, there being a plurality of transverse slots in said cover adjacent one end thereof; a plurality of guide slots in the opposite end of said cover; a plurality of oscillatory frames in said boX in operative relation with said slots; pictorial objects on said frames and operating through said transverse slots; a plurality of blocks marked with letters of the alphabet slidable in said guide slots; supporting members carried by said letter blocks and arranged in sets to support different fra-mes; and meansassociated with one of said guide slots for releasing a corresponding frame when the corresponding letters are assembled therein, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BRAYTON G. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

CHRISTIE E. WEssELs, ARTHUR A. OLsoN. 

